Safety apparatus for preventing the opening of the breech of a gun before the recoil of the gun-barrel



EPSCHNEIDER. SAF-E'I 'Y APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE OPENING OF THE BREECH 0F A'G UN,

v BEFORE THE RECOIL OF THE sun BARREL. 7 1,388,607.

APPLHIMTION HL-ED DE C.28,' 1920.,-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I E; SCHNEIDER.

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTlNG THE OPENING OF THE'BREECH OF A GUN BEFORE THE RECOIL OF THE GUN BARREL. APPLICATION FILED DEC.28, 1920.

- 1 3 8 07 PatentedAug. 23,1921.

, v ZSHEETS-SHEET G 1 v 4- R &2 9 1 G "I E E 7 2 9 It a Z 4%? iy F n v I K I 1 "I U f ::::z :::T':: 5: 0 J4 1 A i X i N Q x L v c I i B I c 1'5 the breech has been closedfth'e disengage UNIT-ED L T E ENT O.FFlCE- EtTGEfi-E wann -er rams; nfssiGN-on resennnmnn. & CIE.-, or rams, rnmcnm LIIITED .iotnr-s 'rocn COMPANY 012 FR NCE.

SAFETY- m'rm'rns ronrnnvnmrme THE ornate on THE Baa-sen or A am;

- BEFORE THE Bacon on THE GUN-BARREL. I

.Leee eoa.

To all whom it may 60mm. I l I Be it known jt'ha'til, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a

' citizen lot the Republic of France, resident of Paris, France, have invented new and use lowing specification. 1

This invention "has'fo'r its object to pro- Vide an apparatus affordingcomplete safety- 7 against-hang fire, con'sis't'ingbf a device for engaging the handle offtl1e 'breech-operati11g lever of guns, this engagement preventing all actuation of the said handle immediately ment of the said handleftakes place automatically on the recoil of the gun barrel.

The improved apparatus is applicable to gun breeches, theoperation of which necessitates a ,movement of [the handle of the breech-operating leveralong its axis, folof Fig. 1.

lowed by a pull upon said handle.

The invention is illustrated. 'n the acconn i anyingdrawings, in its; application to a gun reech mechanism of the known type of m- --terrupted screw-threads. a

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan ofa gun showing my invention applied thereto, the.

openi and closed positions of the breech I mechanism opera-ting handle being. shown in dotted and full lines respectively.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 Figs. 3,4,5

ing means,-the safety apparatus, and the breech mechanism operating handle, -at dif-.

' handle.

[the gun barrel.

Fig. 7 isa schematic view partly in section showing the stop member moved out of the path of travel of thebreech mechanism operating handle, with the stop actuating bolto'fthe safety apparatus moved to its extreme outward position by the recoil. of

Fig; 8 is a schematic side elevation, partly a handle whenthe latter is released and movsectors 6,19 ofthe breech screw B.

I 1 a. "into and out offthe-bree'ch screw. and. (Bare schematic side ele- I V vations partly in; sectionshovsiing the'rela-f tive positions of the breechfmechanism lockin section, showing the relative positions of the. safety apparatus; and the operating 7 Fig. '9 is -'a' view si mi'lar "to Fig. 2 showing the' sto-p member of the safety apparatus moved out of the path'of travel off-the operating handle by engagement with thehandle after the recoil of thegun'barrel.

Fig. 10 is a schematic side elevation; 'partly in section, showing the stop member moved to a remote position with respect to 1 the operating handle by manually operable means attached to the gun barrel.

" A's shown in horizontal'section in Fig. l

of the accompanying drawings; such gun breech mechanisms comprise a breech block A provided with screwth readed sectors" a Y alternating with plainsectors a corresponding respectively to screwt'hrea-ded and plain The breech block A is constantlyheld in a breech block-carrier O. pivoted to the breech screw B by means of a -hingle-pi'n C can rotate in the said carrier for the purposes of being screwed and unscrewed.

p Theoperation ofthe breech mechanism is efl'ected by means of a lever E pivoted on the hinge-pin C By its rotational .motion the lever moves withi't by means of a stud e, a slide block F guided in the carrier C, and to which i'timparts longitudinalmo- 'tion; This slide block meshes. by means of teeth fjwith a toothed sector a. formed on the breech block A; it thus assures in the movements imparted to it by the lever E; the

screwingand' unscrewing ofthebreech block When thescre'win has been effected, the f leverj E, thecarrierfli the slide block and i "the breech screw A, turn'together as" a whole "on thehin e;pin C? for the purpose of withdrawing tile breech block from. its lodgner the spring handle G of the lever E, and

arib H formed'on the carrier C. V a

'As shown in detailin Fig. 2 which is an elevation partlyin section on the line 2 2 of Fig.1 1, the handle G is slipped on to a projection E of the lever E and is held on tonhole slot 6 The spring G has a constant tendency to keep the handle raised.

this projection'byap'in g movable in a but- The handleis formed with an extension G I and with a nib g projecting fromthe inner wall of the said extension. The engagement -ofthe handleGr, for thepurposeof preventefliectedv automatically in the closing movement'of the breech, the rib H situated on a level with the nib 9 when the latter israised by the spring G has a chamfered end it at its inner end. In the closing movement, the

- nib g meets this chamfer, and is thereby depressed,'and thus produces a compresslon of the spring G of the handle. Successively the nib g slides along the chamfer h of the rib, along the horizontal portion 71, and hav- 7 mg arrived at the'end of the rib, it leaves the latter and is caused to engage behind it.v

by the action of the expansion of the spring G This arrangement is known. According to thisinvention, the sand apparatus is combined with a, complementary device which, when the breech is closed, and the handle G of the operating lever being engaged behind the rib H, prevents any de-- ,pression of the said handle, and consequently its actuation by hand, so long asthe gun barrel has not initiated its recoll;

The improved apparatus consists essentially of a spring stop I situated in the path of the operating handle G, and so arranged as to move out of the way of said handle in the closing movement of the breech, but to engage automatically with the underside of the handle immediately the breech is closed; the disengagement of said stop carried by the gun barrel being onlyrendered possible Y by .the action ofthe recoil of the gun barrel.

In the illustrated practical embodiment of this invention, the'stop I is slipped by means ,rearfac-e k of the rib H, and the stopI of a hub I upon a bolt J movable in a box K fixed onthe breech; end of the gun barrel.

The bolt J isacted upon by a spring J which has a constant tendency to push the nose of the bolt outward and to compress theless powerful spring I which latter has an op-,

posite action upon the stop I; This spring I is fixed atone end to the hub ofthe stop,

and at its other end to'the outer end of ,the

box K; it acts both as an expansion spring and a torsion spring;

Normally thefspring I has a tendencyto push the stop fromleft tov right, that is to say, toward the axis of the gun barrel, and

to rotate said stop member rearwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 3. An extension 2' abutting against the end of a slot is formed in the box K, serves to limit the rearward inclination, of the stop.

when .the breech is closed, the nos or the v bolt J bears against arrib M formed on" or fixed to the guard plate N carried by the cradle O. Thisbearing ofzthe bolt against the rib M keeps the said bolt pushed inward,

the spring J being compressed. The rib M terminates at its rear end in an outwardly sloping ramp n upon which'the, nose of the ,boltlJ slides at the end of the recoil of the has been engaged in the breech screw B, the

said lever-EG occupies the position indicated in dot and dash'lines'in Fig. 1. The nose of the bolt J' is in contact with. the rib M. The spring J iscompressed, while the spring I is expanded, the stop I being inclinedtoward' the rear, as shown in "Fig. 3.

' On continuing to actuate the lever EL-G by pushing it toward the breech screw, the

breech block A is screwed into the breech screw B in the known manner above referred to. Toward the end of this operation the nib g of the handle G meets the chamfer h' of the. rib H of the breech block carrier C; it slides along the said chamfer;

thereby causing the depression of the handle and the compression of the spring G up to the moment when the nib becomes engaged tion 7L1 of the said rib (Fig: 4).

At this instant the extension G meets the stop I, and the continuation'of'the actuation v of the lever E causes a forward tipping over with the underside of the horizontal porof the stop and at the Sametime a sliding I movement of the nib face 6, of-the rib I-I- Immediately that, in this movement, the r g along the horizontal" nib 9? passes beyond the end of the ribH, Y

the nib 9 becomes free (Fig. 5.); thus allowing the spring G to ex and and to efiect the riseof the handle. n this rising movement the nib J9 engages behind the is caused by the action of the torsion spring that shown in Fig. 6, where it bears against I to resume its upright, position, namely, I

time as it bears under the heel 9* formed by the notch provided in the said" extension.

The parts have assumed thispos'itionat the instant when the breech is [completely closed. From that moment onwardit becomes impossible to: open the breech. Any

pullexerted upon the handle G is prevented by the engagement of the nib g behind the rib 'H', and the'disengagement between 9 and II is prevented by the extension'Gr abutting against the stop I. So long as the gun barrel has not recoiled, the opening of the breech is thus rendered impossible without a previous action upon a hereinafter described device for moving thejstop I out of the way. on the recoil, the bolt J meets the ramp n of the-rib M Insliding along this ramp, the bolt is pushed outward by the expansion spring J which is stronger than s case-s07 stop I tonne side and bringing it into the position shown'in Fig-7. I a

" Illuis'the lever. EG can be operated to.

open the breech, only from the instant when the gun barrel in its recoil, shall'hav e moved the boltlJ to the end ofthe" ramp n.

i On returning into battery position, the stop Iwhich has been returned to the rear by thetorsion of the spring I ,'is met-by the lower end of the extension G that is to say, by the portion of this-extension that projects below the heelg", thereby preventing the stop from being returned toward the axis of the" gun barrel by'the spring I (as shown in Figs. 8. and 9.)

The *bolt J canon the contrary move freelyout of thewayon contact with the ramp 1; and bepushed inwardly as shown in Fig.

Itwill be seen that in this position (the breech closed after the return into battery position) the stop Iis moved automatically out'of the way, and the breech can be opened by depressing the handle I followedby a pull toward the rear. Immediately this opening has been effected, the stop I'is re.

turned inward by the springIF and is ready to operate as a safety device when ther cradle and provided with a breech mechother position bythe engagementof the nose 29 into one or the other of the two sockets Q or Q (Fig. 2). WVhen the handle is locked in the socket Q, the cam P is situated outside the path of the extension i of the stop I, By actuating the handle P in a clockwise direction, the cam P is caused to act upon the extension i, and the stop is caused to tip, as shownin Fig. 10, by moving'it out of the path of the extension G of the operating handle. Theengage ment of the nose 79 in the socket Q assures the retention of the stop in its moved-away position.

The improved apparatus as described has a great advantage over thefk-nown safety devices, .the disengagement of which is effected on the recoil by the action of the meeting between a lever and a ramp.v In these known devices, the meeting between the freelever and the. actuating ramp, takes place at a very high speed at the commencement of the recoil and gives rise to shocks which are frequently the cause of break ages. In the improved apparatus the safety bolt is in contact with its operating ramp when the breech is in its closed position, and

it sli'deslin contact-with the said ramp from l The meeting be tween'the bolt and the, ramp takes place then only toward the end of the return of the gun barrel into battery position and therefore at a very low speed. Any accident which might-produce a shock is by this means rendered impossible.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

' 1. In a safety apparatus for preventing movement of the breech mechanism of a gun before recoil of the gun barrel, the

combination of a cradle, a gun barrel carried within the cradle and provided with a breechmechanism, means for locking the breech mechanism in closed position made effective by alongitudinalmovement of the means operable to engage and prevent move 'ment of said handle after said locking-means has been madeeifective,

--2. In a safetyfapparatus for preventing movement of a breech of a gunbefore the "lGCOll of the gun barrel, the combination of I a cradle, a gun barrel carried within the .movement of a breech of a gun before the recoil of the gun barrel, the combination of a cradle, a gun barrel carried within the cradle and provided with a breech 1116Cl1'i anism, means for locking the breech mechanism in closed position and made effective by a longitudinal movement of the breech mechanism operating handle, means operable to engage and'prevent movement of said handle after'said locking means has been made effective, and means operable by the recoil ofthe gun to move said handle engaging means out of the path of travel of said handle, permitting movement of the breech mechanism to its open position.

4. In a safety apparatus for preventing movement of the breech. of a gun before the recoil of the gun barrel, the combination of. a cradle, a gun barrel carried within the cradle and provided with a breech mechanism, meansfor locking the breech mech.-' anism in closed position and made effective by a longitudinal movement of the breech the verybe'ginning of the recoil, and leaves 1t almost lmmediately.

breech mechanism operating handle, and I mechanism operating handle, a stop member rotatably and slidably mounted. on the gun barrel and automatically operable to en-' gage and prevent movementot the handle after said locking means has been made ef sfective, and means operablebythe recoil of j the gun to move saidhandle engaglng means out of the path of travel of said handle, permitting movement of the breech mechanism to it's open position.

5. In a safety apparatus for preventing movement'of a breech of a'gun before the recoil of a gun barrel, the combination of a I cradle provided interiorly with an extension,

a gun barrel carried within the cradle and provided With a breech, mechanism, means for locking the'breech mechanism in closed position and made efiecti've by a longitudinal movement of the breech mechanism operating handle, means automatically operable to. engage the handle and prevent movement thereof after said locking means has been made effective, and spring controlled means coacting with said cradle extension and operable by the recoil of the gunbarrel to move said handle engaging means out of the path of travel of the handle, permitting movement of the breech mechanism to its open position.

v specification.

i 1.58am

6. a safety apparatus for preventing movement of a breech of a gun before the recoil of the gun barrel, thecco'mbination of a cradle provided interiorly with an extension, a gun barrel carried Within the cradle and provided With a breech mechanism,

means for locking. the breech mechanism in closed position and made effective by a longitudinal movement of the breech; mechanism operating handle, spring controlled means automatically operable to engage and prevent movement of the handle after 'said' locking means has been made effective, and

spring controlled means associated with said handle engaging means and the cradle extension and operable by recoil of the gun barrel to automatically move thejhandle engaging means out of the path of travel of said handle, permitting movement of the breech mechanism to its open position after the gun barrel has returned to the battery position.

Dated this 10th day of November, 1920 In testimony whereof I have signed this EUGENE SCHNEIDER,

Witnesses i f I ANDRE MosrIoKER, LOUISIGARDET; 

